Nature-mimic fabricated polydopamine/MIL-53(Fe): efficient visible-light responsive photocatalysts for the selective oxidation of alcohols

Polydopamine/MIL-53(Fe) (PDA/MIL-53(Fe)) nanocomposite photocatalysts were synthesized with PDA (PDA = polydopamine) and MIL-53(Fe) using a nature-mimicking method. The structures, morphologies, optical properties and thermal stabilities of all the synthesized materials were characterized using a series of methods. In particular, the separation efficiency of photogenerated charge significantly increased after the incorporation of PDA into MIL-53(Fe), which resulted in an elevated photocatalytic activity of PDA/MIL-53(Fe) compared with the control groups. The PDA/MIL-53(Fe) nanocomposite could accelerate the conversion of primary or secondary alcohols into the corresponding aldehydes or ketones with a high specificity by direct hole-involving oxidation under visible-light irradiation and room temperature. The catalysts could be cycled at least three times without a significant decrease in the catalytic activity and this result showed the excellent recyclability and stability of the catalysts.